On March 4, 2024, the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported on Toyota’s new engine project . The company announced that the new engine will be a 1.5L 4-cylinder engine, with development expected to begin as early as 2026-27.
The “silver engine” and “red engine” currently under development will be unveiled at “Tokyo Auto Salon 2024.” These are the new engines!
Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) and Lexus will be holding a “New Year’s Greetings from Morizo” event at the TGR booth in East Hall 8 at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2024, which will be held at Makuhari Messe from January 12th to 14th, 2024. Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman and CEO Akio Toyoda announced the launch of a new “engine project.” Photographs of a “silver engine” and a “red engine” being produced were shown. This is the “1.5L 4-cylinder engine” reported in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun. My initial reaction was that this represents a return to a 4-cylinder engine, rather than a 3-cylinder. The current 1.6L inline 3-cylinder intercooled turbo engine “G16E-GTS” is currently installed in compact sports cars such as the GR Yaris , GR Corolla, and LBX RR , so it will be interesting to see what else this new engine will offer.
In his “New Year’s Greetings from Morizo,” Toyoda Akio spoke on three themes: 1. “Making Friends for the Future,” 2. “Making Friends Across Borders,” and 3. “Protecting Friends for the Future.” In the third section, “Protecting Friends for the Future,” Morizo made a request to Toyota: ” Engines still have a role to play as a realistic means toward carbon neutrality, so let’s further hone our engine technology and launch such a project.” President Sato and the rest of the management team agreed, and a new project was launched. Toyoda concluded by saying, ” EV, HV, PHEV, FCEV—any power source is fine. The truth is always the same: ‘The enemy is carbon.’ Let’s create the future together, car lovers. “
During the “Car Roundtable Discussion” held after “New Year’s Greetings from Morizo ,” a question was asked about the two engines currently under development, to which Chairman Toyoda replied hesitantly, “Well,” explaining that the first, silver engine is “an environmentally friendly engine,” and the second, red engine, is “an engine that can win races.” This means that there is a possibility that this red engine will be installed in a future sports model, and based on past trends, this author got the impression that Chairman Toyoda would like to use it in the next Celica engine.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and Lexus Announce Exhibit Details for Tokyo Auto Salon 2024
What will the newly developed 1.5L 4-cylinder engine be installed in?
The thing I’m most curious about is what kind of models will be equipped with this new 1.5L 4-cylinder engine. First of all, the 1.5L 4-cylinder engine (silver engine) is likely to be used in a wide range of compact cars, including the Corolla , Yaris , and Aqua . The 1.5L 4-cylinder engine (red engine) may be widely used in future GR models, and it’s said that the FT-3e concept model may become the next Celica , so it’s possible that it could be installed in a new sports car.
▼For more details, please refer to this article.
- Toyota’s new Celica will be fully redesigned, with the 8th generation “GR Celica” returning for the first time in 20 years! Released in 2026
- The “red engine” currently under development will be unveiled at the “Tokyo Auto Salon 2024” and may be installed in the new “Celica”
- Toyota to exhibit and unveil two battery EV concepts, the FT-3e SUV and the FT-Se sports model, at Japan Mobility Show 2023
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
